Many modern database tools integrate a database engine with a graphical user interface (GUI). The content of the database is formatted and displayed in the GUI according to a layout. The ability to visualize various amounts of information dynamically is an important asset for a knowledge worker who uses the database tools. Charting functions based on database content have been a significant component of various visualization tools. In a conventional database application program, a user can define a chart by designating a data source as a data series for the chart. The user can then specify one or more chart parameters. The database application program can then generate a chart using the user-specified data series and parameters.